Donegal move through the gears nicely to see off Monaghan and lift Dr McKenna Cup

Donegal had too much for Monaghan in Omagh as Jim McGuinness’ side picked up the first piece of silverware on offer in 2026. 

A Shea Malone brace of goals, one in each half, paved the way for a deserving 12-point victory at Healy Park.

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The reigning Ulster champions led 1-7 to 0-6 at the changeover. And with both sides running their benches in the second period, Donegal were the ones able to sustain efforts to outgun the Farney men 1-10 to 0-5. 

Early on, Monaghan were off the mark first, taking advantage of a stray Gavin Mulreany dispatch that went over the sideline. 

The Farney men would eventually work the free from close range and Stephen Mooney easily chipped over. 

Donegal made a real dent on the scoreboard, at the very first time of asking on seven minutes, when a brilliant spot by Shane O’Donnell sourced the advanced Paul O’Hare inside and his square to the lurking Shea Malone was swept to the back of the net. 

Hugh McFadden and Ryan Duffy then swapped points but back-to-back Donegal efforts from Turlough Carr and Conor O’Donnell left them in the ascendancy, 1-3 to 0-2, at the end of the opening quarter. 

The leaders posted their third point on the trot through McFadden when a retreating  Monaghan defence invited the Killybegs man to let fly and the gap widened to five. 

Monaghan then prised open the Donegal rearguard, working the ball through the quick hand of Mooney and Duffy. 

The latter would elect to fist first time towards goal but Mulreany somehow got across to spectacularly deflect the ball away from the net. 

Straight away, down the other side, Donegal almost raised a second green when a direct ball into the area from Conor O’Donnell was flicked off the outside of the post by O’Hare.

Monaghan, the most wasteful in front of the posts at this point on a five to one count, finally found some momentum as Jason Irwin and Thomas Hughes narrowed the gap back to that previous Donegal goal. 

Things got even better for Gabriel Bannigan’s charges as Mooney cut matters to two at 1-4 to 0-5. 

Kevin Muldoon stemmed the tide momentarily for Donegal but with Hughes grabbing his second approaching the 30-minute mark, we were back to a two-point game. 

 Mulreany would trot forward to boot a two-point free in added time and with Donegal turning over the subsequent kickout, they’d earn another chance for their goalkeeper to repeat that feat. 

However, from about the 50m mark, Mulreany seen that effort come back off the post. And with the half-time whistle going, 1-7 led 0-6 at the changeover. 

Andrew Woods struck first for Monaghan after the restart, but another Mulreany two-point free meant the leaders responded with interest. 

David Garland and Conor O’Donnell traded overs before a Malone effort left it 1-11 to 0-8, moving into the fourth and final quarter. 

Monaghan replacement Louis Kelly fired back but another brace of a reply from Donegal, this time through substitutes Eoin McGeehin and Caolan McColgan, helped open up a seven-point advantage. 

Another Monaghan change, Eddie Walsh, did move his side into double figures but with Malone blasting to the net once more, Donegal were as good as out the gate. 

Substitute goalkeeper Kian Mulligan fired over a ‘45 but that was as good as it got for his side as Donegal galloped for home. 

Jasion McGee looped over a superb two-pointer down the stretch while Conor McCahill and Ryan McHugh brought the curtain down on another encouraging evening for Donegal. 

Captain on the night Coalan McGonagle, one short of his 100th inter-county appearance, lifted the trophy as Donegal now turn attention to a huge NFL opener with Dublin next Saturday night in Croke Park.

Donegal scorers: Shea Malone 2-1; Gavin Mulreany 0-4, 2tpf; Hugh McFadden and Conor O’Donnell 0-2;Jason McGee 0-2, tp; Turlough Carr, Kevin Muldoon, Eoin McGeehin, Caolan McColgan, Conor McCahill  0-1 each.

Monaghan scorers: Stephen Mooney 0-2, 1f; Thomas Hughes 0-2; Andrew Woods 0-1, 1f; Ryan Duffy, Jason Irwin, David Garland, Louis Kelly, Eddie Walsh 0-1; Kian Mulligan 0-1, 45. 

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Ultan Doherty, Brendan McCole, Mark Curran; Paul O'Hare, Caolan McGonagle, Max Campbell; Kieran Gallagher, Hugh McFadden; Shane O'Donnell, Turlough Carr, Kevin Muldoon; Conor O'Donnell, Conor McCahill, Shea Malone. 

Subs: Caolan McColgan for McCole (21), Finnbarr Roarty, Eoghan Ban Gallagher and Ryan McHugh for O’Hare, U Doherty and T Carr (half-time), Peadar Mogan for McGonagle (41), Jason McGee and Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde for McFadden and Gallagher (44), Eoin McGeehin for C O’Donnell (46), Seanán Carr for S O’Donnell (48), Oisin Caulfield for Muldoon (50). 

Monaghan: Jack Kiernan; Ryan Wylie, Darragh Treanor, Dylan Byrne; Ryan Duffy, Shane Hanratty, Thomas Hughes; Alistair Stewart, Karl Gallagher; Jason Irwin, Liam McDonald, Fionan Carolan; David Garland, Andrew Woods, Stephen Mooney. 

Subs: Darragh McElearney, for Shane Hanratty (21), Kian Mulligan Dessie Ward Stephen O’Hanlon and Micheál Bannigan for Kiernan, Irwin, Mooney, and Gallagher (half-time), Louis Kelly, Aaron Kearney and Oisin Monahan for McDonald, Duffy and Stewart (44), Eddie Walsh for Woods (47), Cameron Dowd for Dylan Byrne (50), Sean Callan for Carolan (56).

Referee: Shane Murphy (Armagh).